Sue Leskiw
North Group

Perseverance by North Group members led to a win-win-win situation in Del Norte County, as over 200 old-growth redwoods were preserved, $20-25 million was saved, and traffic safety increased significantly.

At a presentation in July, Lucille Vinyard accepted an award from the State Department of Transportation for the North Group's cooperation on the Cushing Creek re-alignment of Highway 101 just south of Crescent City. The project received an "Excellence in Transportation" award in the rural highway category during a statewide competition involving over 100 nominated projects.

The winding section of Highway 101 had suffered from a collision rate seven times the state average. Caltrans initially considered "traditional" methods to realign the road, which would have removed over 200 old-growth redwoods. Representatives of the Sierra Club and Redwood State and National Parks strongly opposed this approach.

process, refined an alternative that ultimately reduced the tree loss to two old-growth trees. Former North Group conservation chair Susie Van Kirk monitored the project during the decade-long planning process.

Groundbreaking took place in April 1999, with ribbon cutting celebrated in October 2001. Besides adjusting the highway alignment, the project incorporated experimental asphalt to improve drainage and traction, a median with rumble strips, shoulders, viaducts, and retaining walls made of wood lagging. The final design reduced the cost of the project to just $15 million from an original estimate of $35-40 million and reduced the collision rate by 600 percent.